


Auditing Death

by Winterstar



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Angst, Crack, Gen, Minor Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-19
Updated: 2011-05-19
Packaged: 2017-12-12 08:56:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/809732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Winterstar/pseuds/Winterstar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>General Hammond and Jack answer some uncomfortable questions. Episode related (Meridan, and Heroes)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Auditing Death

Really, he had no idea how his nails got so dirty while he was just sitting around on the weekend drinking a beer and watching what was left of the hockey season. He skimmed a nail under his index finger nail to clean it as he sat in the briefing room waiting for the shit to hit the fan. His long legs were stretched out under the briefing table and he was definitely not sitting up as  
the brass came into the room.

Jack stood and saluted the Generals and another full bird Colonel as they  
hustled into the briefing room, noting the visitors were Army. There were short introductions; General Curt Woldorf and Colonel Patricia Dooring. General Hammond took his designated chair while the visiting General and Colonel sat across from Jack. With a wave from Hammond they all took their seats.

"Thank you for your time, gentlemen," Dooring said and started to shuffle through a stack of file folders she'd carried into the room with her. She spaced them out on the table in neat little piles, carefully aligning each of the file folders. "The General and I are here on assignment from the Joint Chiefs of Staff to discuss some disturbing statistics."

Hammond glared at Jack. He remained stone faced.

"We're with the Army Medical Command," she started again.

"What does the Army have to do with an Air Force operation," Jack asked but then somewhat belatedly added, "sir, no, ma'am?"

She gave him a shallow smile and said, "Joint Chiefs of Staff, remember? They asked us to come by and review your current records regarding fatalities."

Jack dropped his gaze. It was too raw, too fresh to go into their recent losses. He didn't dare discuss with these people, these bureaucrats the loss of their finest, their doctor.

"What can we do for you?" Hammond asked.

"We've gone over records for the entire Stargate Command program. These records indicate a very high percentage of fatalities when compared to other military programs." Dooring pulled out a folder and started to flip through the papers, each was individually tabbed and color coded.

Jack blanched. "I'm sorry, what's your point?"

She set the file carefully aside, then folded her hands in front of her and gave him a deliciously fake smile. He noticed her lipstick smeared over her thin lips. "Our point, Colonel O'Neill, is the cost of human lives has exceeded our acceptable limit."

"There's an acceptable limit?" Jack asked.

"Colonel!" Hammond warned.

Jack raised his hand and said, "No, General, with all due respect, I have to ask what is the limit? Who is the limit? When does this happen, when do they audit us?"

"We audit you when it becomes clear you are not following the acceptable protocol to ensure protection of life," Dooring said.

"What?" Jack asked. "We put our lives on the line every damned day, lady." General Woldorf flustered at Jack's words but he ignored him. "Our main goal is to protection of life, the protection of life on this planet. We lose people, good people to protect your asses so that you can sit at your desk all day and color code your crappy ass files." He tossed one of the files across the table.

"General, is this necessary?" Woldorf asked Hammond.

Hammond raised his hands and said, "Let's all calm down. Now, you have to understand, Colonel Dooring, my people are close knit, a loss is a very serious matter here at the SGC. We just lost one of our most respected members of our team."

"Yes, your base doctor?" Dooring rifled through her papers.

"Her name was Janet Fraiser," Jack hissed.

"Why was she out in the field again?" Dooring said as she found the folder and flipped it open. Before Jack could rip her a new one, she said, "Oh yes, her death is not in question. She died under acceptable conditions."

"What the hell?" Jack raged but Hammond jumped up and grabbed Jack as he was about to launch across the table. "None of my people die under acceptable conditions. None of them. Not one!" Jack screamed.

Dooring flinched back and Woldorf patted her hand. He interjected, "Colonel, we are truly sorry for your loss. We don't intend to upset you further. We have to make a report to the Joint Chiefs and would appreciate your assistance."

Jack deflated, all the anger turning into sorrow. He covered his face with his hand and said, "Fine, whatever."

"Here, this one." Dooring yanked a folder from the bottom of the pile. "This one  
is in question."

Jack sat back and stared at the window to the gate room. It was dark; no teams were due back for days. Her voice mumbled on and Jack lost all focus until Hammond spoke.

"Doctor Daniel Jackson saved Kelowna by his actions."

"And what exactly did his death produce for the us?" Dooring said.

"What?" Jack shook his head. "I'm sorry, I keep hearing you talk but all that's coming out of your mouth is wawah, wawah, wawah. I feel like Charlie Brown talking to my teacher."

Wordolf huffed. "General, can you keep your man in line?"

Hammond took a moment to center himself before giving Jack another silent warning. "I think what Colonel O'Neill is trying to say is that we don't understand your point."

"Doctor Jackson died for the good of another society, not one on Earth," Dooring said. "It has been determined that the SGC should focus its resources on protecting and securing Earth, not other worlds. Doctor Jackson's actions are considered inappropriate and cause for further investigation."

"Seriously, this conversation is giving me a headache," Jack said. "Daniel did what he always does, the right thing. You, on the other hand, do what you always do, drive the rest of us, the ones defending your asses, crazy with bureaucratic crap."

"Doctor Jackson was a valuable resource to this Command. His loss is considered unacceptable and as such, this Command must resolve this situation through an investigation."

Something stopped Jack. "Was?"

"Yes, was," Dooring snickered.

"Can I see the file, please?" Jack asked and reached out for it. She hesitated before she handed it over to him. He scanned it. "When was the last time you updated Doctor Jackson's file?"

"After he died of radiation poisoning. An inquiry was tagged on his file and it has been in processing since." Dooring straightened her shoulders and smiled at him.

Jack leaned back in his chair and called to the airman outside of the briefing room. "Can you please call the Head of the Archeology and Anthropology Department to the briefing room immediately?"

The airman nodded and went to the phone.

They continued with the conversation about Daniel's demise. Finally, they revealed their purpose. "Due to the nature of Doctor Jackson's death, we will be conducting an audit on deaths at the SGC that are not directly related to protecting and serving Earth," Woldorf said.

"Jack?" Daniel ran into the briefing room with an armload of books. "Got a call you needed me?" He looked around and noticed the rest of members of the briefing. "Generals, Colonel."

"Who is this?" Dooring pointed to him.

"Oh, sorry," Daniel adjusted his glasses, stretched out his hand and said, "Daniel Jackson."

The woman's eyes flared wide open and Jack chuckled a bit. Woldorf fussed with her files and said, "General Hammond, what is the meaning of this? Who is this?"

General Hammond bit down on his lower lip, trying to contain his laughter. "This is Doctor Daniel Jackson."

"The dead one."

"What?" Daniel said and stood back up, not offering his hand.

"Yes, the dead one," Jack said.

"Why isn't he still dead?" Dooring said.

"Do you prefer him that way?" Jack asked.

"Jack!"

"Daniel."

"Of course not, but," Dooring said. "He has to be dead."

"I ask again, do you want him to be dead?"

"General!" Woldorf protested.

"As you can see, General Woldorf and Colonel Dooring, Doctor Daniel Jackson is very much alive," General Hammond said.

Dooring gathered up her folders, realized she'd put them in the wrong order, cursed, tried to fix the error, and then gave up. "He's supposed to be dead."

"If that will be all?" Hammond asked.

Woldorf stood as did Dooring.

Dooring added, "I don't understand. You're supposed to be dead."

Daniel raised his one hand and shrugged.

"The paper work is going to be horrendous to fix this." Dooring clasped the folders under her arm as she followed Woldorf.

"We could off him, if that would help out," Jack offered.

"Jack!" Daniel said.

Jack snickered. Hammond frowned at Jack and then followed the pair out of the briefing room.

"Do you mind telling me what the hell that was all about?" Daniel said.

Jack thought of their casual dismissal of Fraiser's death, of Daniel and the pain it brought to mind. It brought back the somber mood. "About people who don't give a shit about anything but color coded file folders and don't have a clue what the hell we're doing here."

Daniel remained silent for a moment, then asked, "You want to get some lunch?"

Jack slipped his hands in his pockets. "Sure, maybe they have blue jello."

"Maybe." Daniel started down the winding staircase. "Off me, Jack, really?"

"It isn't like it would be a problem for you, Daniel," Jack countered. "Death is a much over rated illness for you."

Daniel stopped and stared at Jack, his eyes glistening. His words were whispered. "Lucky me.” He paused then and added, “I miss her every damned day."

"So do I."

They walked to the elevator in silence.

THE END


End file.
